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Moldovan President Sandu arrives in Kyiv to meet Zelensky

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Moldovan President Sandu arrives in Kyiv to meet Zelensky
Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine, to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 25, 2025. (Maia Sandu / X)

Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 25 on an official visit to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to her X account.

Sandu's visit comes amid an ongoing energy crisis in Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region. While Moldova has transitioned to European energy supplies, Transnistria remains heavily reliant on Russian gas.

Russian gas supplies to Transnistria were halted on Jan. 1 due to Ukraine's decision to stop Russian gas transit, including supplies to Moldova, and Moldova's debt for gas supplies.

The energy crisis has been labeled by Chisinau as Kremlin blackmail and a threat to national security.

"I bring a strong message of support for Ukraine and its people. Their courage secures our peace," Sandu wrote on X.

"We'll discuss security, energy, infrastructure, trade, and mutual support on the EU path. Moldova remains a reliable neighbor."

As Moldova has shifted toward European integration under Sandu's leadership, Russia has continued to put pressure on the country.

Moldova has sought to combat Russian influence and pressure, banning Russian-affiliated political groups like the U.S.-sanctioned Shor party, outlawing broadcasts of Russian state-run television news, and blocking access to Russian media sites.

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VARNIȚA, Moldova — The buzzing sound of chainsaws and generators is now common in Varnița, a village of 5,000 that borders Moldova’s Russian-controlled region of Transnistria. Located next to the Russian-controlled city of Bender (Tighina), the village is subordinated to Chișinău but depends on the…
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Kateryna Hodunova

News Editor

Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

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